[Kojak]

Reading a bunch of threads here, and various discussions at the old and other places, made me wonder what the future holds for TV news. There seems to be a strong contingent who thinks that news channels in particular are dead (unless they're internationally-focussed, in which case they do have some sort of future due to their global agenda and audience). One point of view that struck me from the purple place was that someone said the age of the endless bulletin with two presenters making jovial banter is over. I personally was a big fan of that style, as, I imagine, are many others here.

So what is the style in favour now? How does TV news remain relevant alongside the Internet? Obviously the new-style BBC News channel seems to be focusing on analysis of world events, with very little fancy presentation (the whole thing seems to be one locked-off camera in studio C - maybe two, if we're lucky - and much more use of full-screen graphics). Maybe that is indeed the future? Sky News has obviously reduced its focus on style dramatically (possibly too much, IMO) and has gone down a similar route of analysis plus few-frills presentation (albeit still with more flair than the BBC). There are now virtually no two-presenter bulletins or slots on UK news (apart from 5 News and the various breakfast shows). Perhaps we'll start to see no-presenter news?

It's 2023 now, and already TV news (particularly here in the UK) has changed a lot in the past decade. What do we think TV news will look like in 2033? Will Sky News still exist in its current form? Will the opinion channels last? Perhaps we'll see our first AI newsreader? Who knows what the future holds...

[Neil Jones]

These things and styles generally round in circles and it may well be that we end up back at this sort of thing in due course:
www.youtube.com 

After all there's only a finite way of presenting this sort of stuff, and it probably only needs somebody to break the mould and the rest will follow, with a limit - after all before Sky's relaunch of 2005 the whole thing (especially with breaking news) had become so over the top it was virtually insufferable.

But I dare say the underlying factor like most of these things is costs. After all presenters don't work for nothing, and why pay for two when one will do?

Re: AI newsreader, well could be interesting if one meets another one and you end up with this sort of thing:
www.youtube.com 

[DTV]

I think the 'decline' of TV news is overstated - linear ratings wise, it is one of the genres that is declining at the slowest rate - with the BBC News at Six holding up abnormally well (compared to many other continuous programmes) and the news channels having had a particularly strong last few years, especially 2022 (though this year we have begun to see a return to the pre-Covid norm). I know it's not especially radical to say, but, in so far as any linear/scheduled television will exist in the future, it'll almost certainly be news, sport and 'event' drama and entertainment that is the core of it.

For it to retain relevance, it (obviously) has to play to its strengths - which is its ability to provide a structured visual summary and explanation of the day's events. That is the one thing that TV news can do better than anything else - it's never been great for speed and, in this day and age, I could find (if I had any wish to) more opinions - even of one kind - than TV can possibly present. It's why I think the biggest misstep on the new BBC News channel is the surprisingly unvisual nature of it - the lower use of VT reports and graphics, the increased used of both internal and external talking heads - it's is all very visualised radio, but from a TV studio.

[inletwindow]

Linear TV is obviously on the decline and perhaps will go away entirely at some point. But just how far away is that? A few years? 5? 20?

Cable/satellite as we know it sure seems like it has a limited life left as more and more cut the cord.

And most people get their news online already, largely on social media apps. So where does that leave TV news?

Who knows! But it will sure be an interesting next few years. The channels that survive will probably go entirely streaming at some point.

[Brekkie]

I think there is so much noise now in the continuing news media that actually the traditional TV news bulletins are arguably more important than ever - they cut through in a way other forms can't, especially as they are still reporter led rather than based around commentators opinions.

I don't think the UK news industry has embraced streaming channels in the way they could have - they've performed well in the US and again the news wheel format means reports rather than comment, or indeed rolling news, are the focus in a way that isn't the case on linear news channels. I do think a CBSN style model would have provided viewers with a better service than the new style BBC News channel.

[Kojak]

I think there is so much noise now in the continuing news media that actually the traditional TV news bulletins are arguably more important than ever - they cut through in a way other forms can't, especially as they are still reporter led rather than based around commentators opinions.

I don't think the UK news industry has embraced streaming channels in the way they could have - they've performed well in the US and again the news wheel format means reports rather than comment, or indeed rolling news, are the focus in a way that isn't the case on linear news channels.  I do think a CBSN style model would have provided viewers with a better service than the new style BBC News channel.

I thought a while ago that the BBC News Channel would evolve into a sort of newswheel/carousel of reports type format - obviously it instead went the other way and got eaten up by BBC World. Maybe if the BBC ever gets more funding, a sort of revived News Channel could take that format (that might complement the new World 24 quite well).

I could maybe see Sky News going more towards the style you mention - the current funding arrangements end in 2028, and I imagine Comcast might take that opportunity to cut costs. Hey, maybe the news every 15 minutes thing they did 15 years ago was well ahead of its time! There are actually rumours now of Comcast merging with Warner Discovery - so potentially a Sky News/CNN/NBC tie-up of some sort. Interesting times ahead...

[matthieu1221]

I'll think up of some other points later but for now:
- TV news (well news channels) not doing particularly well is a UK thing. Look right across the Channel and the news channels in France are doing phenomenally well and account for nearly 10% of the total viewing share on a normal day.
- The key to this? None of them do rolling news anymore. BFMTV (and franceinfo) remains most closely to a pure 'news channel' but they have gone into the debates and other panels that you'd see on CNEWS, the equivalent of GB News here.
- Panels don't have to be shouting pundits from opposite political viewpoints. LCI has the highest view length out of the 4 and they have (mostly) Ukraine coverage for most of the day with experts on the matter day and night. They'll likely revert to more general international coverage when the war ends but they've firmly established themselves as an international analysis channel (very important when most French viewers don't have the equivalent of a Sky box with international channels -- channels which would not be in French anyway).
- They handle big events splendidly. BFMTV in particular. They've become an instinct, as much as the main generalist channels, for watching events such as the Coronation, Funeral, Death of the Queen, you name it. Whenever the generalist channels don't cover events like these, the news channels (in particular BFMTV) shoot ahead. Such an instinct doesn't seem to exist here.
- It has flair, it's engaging. There isn't the stuck-up (which is slightly stereotyped but I guarantee there's a difference) British news presentation. It's generally the opposite of the Sky News style of news presentation. Wouldn't go as far to say that it's sensationalist, but it's definitely lively.

In short, they do things that social media can't. They've moved away from 'just' the news, which you can check at any time on your mobile device. What won't and shouldn't be happening is presenterless bulletins. In France, this is pretty much synonymous with a strike. It's very lifeless (even with VT reports) and you may as well just watch news clips on social media. It's like trying to watch No Comment on Euronews for extended periods of time.

Separately, I don't quite get the CBSN newswheel streaming concept to be very honest. Struggling to see how it's been such a success (it has to be if NBC and networks are doing the same?).

[Brekkie]

Good point about France, and BFMTV have also had huge success with a network of local channels too. Weak regulation has arguably been the problem here.

[KrazyKei]

I certainly think there is a future for rolling news channels. However, I think there will be a lot of changes to how we watch our news. My predictions in this case would be:

1 - Sky News will no longer exist in around 10 years due to it's outdated model of news coverage and frequent loss of revenue.
2 - BBC News and BBC Parliament will probably merge to create extensive coverage of parliament events whilst still being a rolling news channel.
3 - New independent rolling news channels that will be starting off in radio before going onto TV.
4 - GB News will provide some sort of rolling news during the daytime (unless you count Mark Longhurst's GB News Live as rolling news).
5 - LBC News will probably become a TV channel in a few years.

[DTV]

I certainly think there is a future for rolling news channels. However, I think there will be a lot of changes to how we watch our news. My predictions in this case would be:

1 - Sky News will no longer exist in around 10 years due to it's outdated model of news coverage and frequent loss of revenue.
2 - BBC News and BBC Parliament will probably merge to create extensive coverage of parliament events whilst still being a rolling news channel.
3 - New independent rolling news channels that will be starting off in radio before going onto TV.
4 - GB News will provide some sort of rolling news during the daytime (unless you count Mark Longhurst's GB News Live as rolling news).
5 - LBC News will probably become a TV channel in a few years.

1 - Why is Sky more outdated than any other news channel? Plus, it has pretty much always been loss making - that's not why it has ever existed and, so long as other Sky operations can cross-subsidise it, I don't see why you'd abandon it - particularly not when it is at the height of its prestige and can now fairly legitimately claim to be the sole dedicated UK news channel. I could see them paring back elements or even a partial consolidation with NBC News, but ditching Sky News outright seems far fetched.

2 - What benefit is there to doing this? Do you envisage a parliament-first or a news-first channel? Is this in addition to the existing World-leaning channel or instead of it?

3 - I find it difficult to see a situation in which Sky News cannot survive but new independent rolling news channels can.

4 - Not impossible, but I don't really see any benefit to them doing this. Having an actual newsgathering operation in place to sustain an actual rolling news channel is quite expensive, even with the cheaper models. Given their existing financial situation, can't see what the investment possibly gets them - especially as it isn't really why people watch them.

5 - Again, not impossible, but other than perhaps an EPG placement for their livestream, I can't really see any developments into being a TV channel, nor any real reason for them to do so.